By Ingrid Prueher, The Baby Sleep Whisperer
Getting your baby on a sleep schedule is as important to the health and well-being of your little one as it is to you. Knowing what to expect of your infant, based on the quickly changing stages of development, can help keep your baby and family rested. The following is a brief overview of the early stages of sleep development.
From newborn to 3.5 months old, babies have not developed their circadian rhythm, a 24-hour cycle that tells their bodies when to sleep, also known as a “body clock.” At this age, your baby’s sleep schedule is based on hours of wakefulness. Watch for cues as to when your baby is sleepy. If you miss the window of putting down your infant when he or she is tired, it will require more soothing because of your baby’s overtired state. In this early stage of life, from the time a child awakens until they need to sleep again changes about every two weeks. A newborn will need to nap around 45 minutes after waking; by 1 to 1.5 months, this period is about one hour and 15 minutes; and by 2.5 months, it is 1.5 hours.
At 3.5 to 4.5 months old, a baby’s biological clock kicks in. This is the time to implement a biological sleep schedule and maintain it until your child gives up naps, which is typically at 2.5 to 4 years old.
For a baby 3.5 to 14 months old, I recommend the following sleep schedule: the first nap should occur between 8 and 9 a.m.; the second nap would be at noon or 1 p.m.; and bedtime should be between 5:30 and 7 p.m. At 15 months, I recommend a 7:30 bedtime until the child is 4 years old.
Infants 2 to 4 months old require four naps a day; babies 4.5 to 7 months old should nap three times each day; babies 7 to 15 months old need two naps a day; and youngsters 15 months old until they give up naps need one nap per day.
Importantly, your baby needs sleep, and, remember, sleep begets sleep. Babies know when they need rest, but they need your help in creating a routine that is supportive of their natural rhythms.
Ingrid Prueher, founder of The Baby Sleep Whisperer™, is a bilingual Certified Family Sleep Institute (FSI) Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Lactation Counselor. She specializes in teaching sleepless moms and dads the fundamentals of sleep so their children can become restful sleepers. Ingrid combines her experience and knowledge of nutrition and sleep to help English and Spanish-speaking parents across the country who struggle to get their children on consistent sleep schedules. She is also part of the FSI Certification Team and the FSI’s Graduate Business Coach and Mentor.
A sought-after child sleep expert, Ingrid runs her own weekly radio show, Baby Sleep 911, Help! Monday nights from 9 to 9:30 p.m. via Blog Talk Radio. She also has been featured in numerous broadcast and print media. Sign up for The Baby Sleep Whisperer’s free report, “7 Secrets to Getting Your Baby to Sleep Like an Angel,” at www.babysleepwhisperer.com.
This is very interesting! It makes sense that an over tired baby would be more difficult to soothe but I didn’t realize just how important monitoring the sleep cycle really is.